Lug strap



ATTORNEY 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 E. AflMASTRIANl ET AL LUG STRAP March 31, 1953 Filed April 21, 1950 March 31, 1953 E. A. MASTRIANI ET AL LUG STRAP 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April 21, 1950 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 31, 1953 "PATE N T OF F ICE LUG STRAZP Elvin Mastrianl, Cedar .Grove, J., and Karol 'Kn'lczyc'ki, Brooklyn, Y., Jassignors, by :mesne assignments, -to Steel and Alloy Tank 'Gompany, Newark, .I., a corporation of New Hersey Application .April '21, 1950, :Serial 157,382

' movement from the pick shaft to the picker stick comprises a pick shaft arm secured at one end to the pick shaft and connected at its other end to the picker stick by .aiug .comiector comprising a lug stick attached to the pick shaft arm and a flexible Tug strap looped around the picker stick and having its heel or bend engaging the outer edge or said stick directly or through a cushion-'- ing pad. Means secured to the picker stick either in the form of a rest or in the .form of a sling strap for the lug strap supports or holds the outer end of the lug strap.

:As the picker stick is drawn inwardly to hurl the shuttle across the loom, the angle of the tug strap with respect to the picker stick is changed, so that the angle of the heel surface of the lug strap bearing against the outer edge of the picker stick changes with respectto said edge. As a resuit. the picking force transmitted to the picker stick concentrated on the stick over a small area. Consequently, considerable strain I is brought to bear on the picker stick and on the lug strap,'=so that the picker stick frequently splits or Zoreaks in operation and the lug strap or the stick engaging cushion-pad carried by said lug strap wears out very quickly. Moreoven-the attachmentson the picker stick necessary to support the lug strap at the right pitch with respect to said stick'adds to the complication of the "pick motion, makes it that much harder to assemble or disassemble and-adds to the inertia of the picker stick, especially when stopping.

Furthermore. the conventional lug strap must be adjusted along the picker stick until the force of the pick is just suflicient town the loom with out hanging-off. This requires special adjusting devices making it possible for these devices to go out of adinstment and adding to the structural and inertiaicomplications of the pick motion. One object of the present invention is to provide a comparatively simple but .efiective means for transmitting movement from the pick shaft to the pieker'stick, in which the disadvantages of prior constructions described are either eliminated or at least materially minimized.

Various other objects of the present invention are apparent from the following particular de scription and from an inspection .of the accom panying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the right-mus side 2 of a loom showing 'a pick motion constituting one embodiment .of the present invention;

Fig. .2 is a section of the pick motion taken ap roximatel along lines .2'2 of Fig. .1, but shown on a larger scale;

Fig. .3 is a section of the pick motion taken .approximately along lines 3--.3 of Fig. 2.;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the pick motion taken approximately along lines '4-4 of Fig. 3.;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the right-hand side of a loom showing a pick motion constituting another embodiment .of the present invention;

Fig. .6 is a section of the pick motion of Fig. 5 taken approximately along lines 6-4 of Fig. '5, but shown on :a larger scale;

Fig. 7 is .a section of the pick motion of Fig. 5 taken approximately along lines "l- 'l of Fig. 6.; and

Fig. '8 is a fragmentary side view of the pick motion shown in Fig. 5 taken approximately along lines 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring to Figs. 1-4 of the drawings, the pick motion on the right-hand side of the loom is shown, but it must be understood that the pick motion on the left-hand side of the loom is oil similar construction.

The loom comprises loomsides l0, each including a pair of vertical opposed webs or plates ll rigidly secured together by braces and crosspieces I 2. Alay ['3 is reciprocated along the loom loy lay swords Msecured thereto and oscillated'from cranks (not shown) through connecting rods (not shown) in a manner well known in the art. Each of these lay swords is located between the plates ll of the corresponding loom'side 1n and is fastened at its lower end to a respective rocker shaft 15 giournalled in suitable bearings '(not shown) mounted on the plates l l A picker stick 16 is provided with a picker 1! at its upper end for hurling the shuttle (not shown) across the raceway of the lay 13. The picker stick ['6 is connected at its lower end to a parallel motion 1-3 serving to move the picker 11 in a direction as nearly as possible parallel to the raceway.

illustration comprising a bracket 22 secured to a cantilever part of the rocker shaft 15 and having pivot supports 23 for pivot pin 24 transverse to said rocker shaft. "Secured to or otherwise rigid with the bracket 22 is a frame plate 25 mounting a bearing 26 for a crank shaft 21 parallel to said pivot pin. Secured to the crank shaft 21 is a crank 28 pivotally connected to one end of a link 35, the other end being pivotally connected to an arm 3| supported on the pivot pin 24. The link 30 has a side extension 32 for holding the lower end of the picker stick l6 and for mounting said stick through bolts 33.

With the parallel motion described, as the picker stick I is drawn inwardly sideways of the loom through the operation of the pick motion, to be described, from the position shown in Fig. 1 about the axis of the movable pivot connection at the lower end of the link 30, the crank 28 is swung clockwise about the axis of the crank shaft 21. This moves the link 35 not only angularly about the axis of its lower pivot connection with the arm 3| but also endwise downwardly, so that the picker 1 at the end of said stick moves during its inward shuttle hurlin stroke substantially parallel to the lay raceway.

The pick motion for drawing the picker stick l6 inwardly for shuttle movement comprises a picking cam (not shown) mounted on a camshaft (not shown) and acting on a follower (not shown) carried at the end of an arm (not shown) rigid with and extending transversely of a picking shaft 35. The picking shaft is supported in bearings 35 secured to the outer plate I I of the loomside i9. Fastened to the picking shaft 35 is a picking-shaft arm 37.

The pick motion described so far, may be of conventional construction. The action of this part of the pick motion is as follows: As the projecting part or nose of the picking-cam on the cam-shaft strikes the follower, it rotates the picking shaft 35 and causes the picking-shaft arm 31 to swing inwardly about the axis of said picking shaft. A lug connection between the outer end of the picking-shaft arm 31 and the picker stick i6 transmits the movement of the shaft arm to the picker stick I5 and draws the picker stick sideways inwardly towards the loom. The picker stick, by means of the force with which it is drawn in, hurls the shuttle across the loom and into the opposite box.

As a feature of the present invention, the lug connection 4|) between the outer end of the picking-shaft arm 37 and the picker stick I6 comprises a rigid lug stick 4| and a rigid lug strap 42 connected to said stick and guided for endwise movement in a fixed direction. The lug stick 4| is adjustable in length and for that purpose is in the form of a turnbuckle comprisin two eyebolts 43 and 44 connected together by a coupling sleeve 45 threaded onto said eyebolts. The eyebolt 43 is swiveled to the lower end of the picking-shaft arm 3! by a self-aligning bearing shown in the form of a ball and socket universal connection 46. The other eyebolt 44 is similarly swiveled to the end of the lug strap 42 by a self-aligning bearing 41 in a manner to be described.

The lug strap 42 comprises a pair of rigid bars 55 and 5| desirably of metal flanking the picker stick IS. A pivot pin 52 passes through the inner ends of the strap bars and 5| and through the eye of the bolt 44, and a bearing ball 53 between said pin and said eye forms the self-aligning or universal connection 47. A snap ring 54 on the pivot pin 52 is desirably employed to prevent displacement of said pin axially.

The outer ends of the strap bars 50 and project beyond the catch 55 5| picker stick l5 and carry a engaging the outer edge of said picker V as leather.

4 stick. The catch 55 on the heel of the lug strap 42 comprises a rigid block 56 which is substantially in the shape of an isosceles triangle and which is pivotally supported by a pivot pin 51 passing through the outer ends of the strap bars 50 and 5| and through said block near its apex.

.A snapring 58 on the pivot pin 5'! is desirably employed to prevent displacement of said pin axially.

The block 56 has one fiat side facing the edge of the picker stick l6 and has this side covered with a pad 60 of suitable cushioning material such The ends of the cushioning pad 60 pass over the inclined sides of the block 55 and are attached thereto, as for example, by studs 5| permitting easy replacement of said pad when worn.

The catch 55 swivels freely about the pivot pin 51, as the picker stick I 6 is drawn inwardly to maintain good surface contact between the hearing surface 62 of the catch 55 and the outer-edge of the pickerstick. To limit the swiveljmovement of. the catch 55 and, toassure thereby the facing of the bearing surface 52 towards the picker stick I6, even when said stick is away from said surface, the block 56 carries a pair of strap pins 63 on opposite sides of the strap bars 5!) or 5| adapted in limiting position of said catch to engage either one or both of said strap bars.

The lug strap 42 is guided for endwise movement as it is operated. For that purpose, there is provided a guide I0 integral with or otherwise secured to the upper end of a, frame plate 1| secured to the frame plate 25, as for example, by bo ts 13. The guide 10 has a slot 14 which is T-shape in section as shown, but which may be of dovetail shape and the strap bar 5| is of corresponding formation to fit in said slot with a uide fit. 4

Since the guide Ill rocks with the parallel motion bracket 22, it moves with the picker stick l6 along the loom following the motion of the lay H5. The self-aligning hearing or connection 45 permits deviation between the lug connection 40 and the picking shaft arm 31 resulting from this movement of the picker stick and the selfaligning hearing or connection 41 between the lug stick 4| and the lug strap 42 permits the lug strap to be maintained in horizontal position, even though the length of said lug stick has been adjustably varied.

The guide 15 extends substantially horizontally and maintains the lug strap 42 substantially horizontally in its endwisepicking operations. Since the support of the lug strap 42 is through the guide i5, the use of attachments on the picker stick I6 for strap supporting purposes is dispensed with and the inertia of the stick especially when pping is consequently decreased. Moreover, the swiveling catch 55 maintains a constant hearing surface against the outer edge of the picker stick l5, thereby assuring the application of effective picking force onsaid picker stick through the lugconnection 40 with minimum of wear or destructive action on the stick and on the cushion pad 6!! of the catch 55. Also, the lug connector 45 is easy to assemble ordisassemble.

Figs. 5-8 show an alternative form of construction in which the lug strap 42a comprises a pair of round rigid bars 50a and 51a desirably of metal flanking the picker stick [5 and rigidly carrying at one end, as for example-by welding, axially aligned collars and 8| respectively. A pivot bolt 52a. passes through the collars and 8| and through the eye of the bolt 44a, and the bearing ball 53a between said pin and said eye forms the self-aligning or universal connection 41a. Sleeves 82 on the pivot bolt 52a retain the bearing ball 53a and the lug stick 4| against displacement along said pivot bolt.

The outer ends of the strap bars 500/. and 51a pass through the ends of an axle pin 51a and are secured thereto by tapered bolts 84. A roller 55a of cushioning material such as rubber or leather is supported for free rotation on the axle pin'fi'la, is retained on said pin against axial displacement by spacers 86 and peripherally engages the outer edge of the picker stick 16.

For guiding the lug strap 42a for endwise movement, the frame plate 25a mounting the crank shaft 211; for the parallel motion l8a is of double web construction and has corresponding upward extensions Ha terminating at their upper ends in respective tubular guides 10a for the strap bars 50a and 51a.

The advantages of the construction of Figs. 5-8 are similar to those inherent in the construction of Figs. 1-4, except that better dynamic balance is afforded in the construction of Figs. 5-8 as a result of its symmetrical double strap guiding arrangement.

While the invention has been described with particular reference to specific embodiments, it is to be understood that it is not to belimited thereto, but is to be construed broadly and restricted solely by the scope of the appended claims;

What is claimed is: I

1. In a pick motion for the picker stick of a loom, a lug connection comprising a lugstick and a lug strap connected end to end, and means independently of the picker stick for supporting and guiding said lugstrap for endwise movement.

2. In a pick motion for the picker stick of a loom, a'lug strap comprising a pair of rigid parallel lug bars connected together as a unit, and a guide rockable with said picker stick along the loom and having a guide slot, one of said bars I guidance but being constrained in its movement by its connection with said one of said lug bars.

4. In a pick motion for the picker stick of a loom, a rigid lug strap comprising a pair of parallel lug bars flanking said stick, a catch between said bars pivotally connected to the outer end of said strap, and means guiding and supporting said strap independently of said picker stick for endwise substantially horizontal move ment.

ELVIN A. MASTRIANI. KAROL KULCZYCKI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 508,550 Milliken Nov. 14, 1893 730,743 Campbell June 9, 1903 784,195 Walmsley et al Mar. 7, 1905 827,996 Roper Aug. 7, 1906 1,038,166 Mac William Sept. 10, 1912 2,073,047 Barnett Mar. 9, 1937 2,105,450 Brown Jan. 11, 1938 2,110,105 Burdett Mar. 1, 1938 2,139,446 Douglas Dec. 6, 1938 2,407,398 Carlson Sept. 10, 1946' 2,427,625 Saurer Sept. 16, 1947 2,466,287 Vanore Apr. 5, 1949 2,575,456 Mastriani et al Nov. 20, 1951 

